Fly Fishing The Upper Connecticut River New HampshireThe Upper Connecticut River is one of the best trout steams in New England. The river begins from the outflow of the Third Connecticut Lake, located offU. S. Highway #3 near the U. S./Canada line. Logging roads access this part of the river and you must hike in a short distance to fish.

The next point downstream to access the river is right below the Second Connecticut Lake. You can catch landlocked salmon in this area.

The section of water with the most access is below the First Connecticut Lake. It has four main access points including one a few hundred yards below the dam. It is fly fishing only in this section.

The next access is in the trophy section along River Road leading down to Lake Francis State Park. You can also fish Perry Stream a tributary to the Connecticut in this location. Lake Francis State Park also provides access to the river.

Below the little town of Pittsburg, Highway #3 again provides access to the river. The fishing continues to be good below Lake Francis. The deeper water of the lake provides a cold water discharge. Many anglers prefer to fish this section from a drift boat.

It is easy to forget the river is a tailwater. It looks like a freestone stream. It has a lot of good hatches of mayflies, stoneflies and caddisflies much like you would expect from a freestone stream.

Upper Connecticut River Fly Fishing Guide:Fly fishing the Upper Connecticut River depends greatly on the species and time of the year. The Connecticut River has some very good dry fly fishing, almost unlike what you would expect from a series of tailwaters.

For all practical purposes, the Upper Connecticut River fishes like a freestone stream more than a tailwater. Of course the dam does discharge water at varying rates and the water can rise and fall accordingly. Always use caution when fishing the river and watch for changing water levels.

Fishing first starts to get good in the middle of May. The salmon run is underway big time when the smelt come out of the lakes to spawn. The salmon follow along right behind them.The ponds can produce good in the middle of May.

The best fishing in the rivers starts in late May and early June. The water temperatures stay in the low to mid sixties throughout the summer in most areas.

Seasons:The Connecticut River is a cold river and the season is more like some of the Northwestern Rivers than an Eastern stream.Spring:The season opens Jan. 1 but the fishing really begins just after ice out around the first of May. This is when salmon are following the smelt run upriver..

Dry fly fishing begins by the middle of June and can be very good. July and August normally provide good dry fly action.

When the weather starts to cool off in September, the dry fly fishing decreases and nymphs and streamers become the key flies. In the fall, the salmon fishing picks up again with the beginning of the salmon spawn.

Above the little town of Pittsburg, most of the fishing is done wading. The bottom is gravel and it is easy to wade in most places. There are some areas the water gets to deep to wade, but for the most part, it is very nice water to wade. High water discharges can affect the wading.

Guide, continued:The river deepens and slows down below Pittsburg. The pools become longer and deeper and the character of the stream changes some. Most anglers drift this section. All types of boats are used from one-man pontoon boats, to canoes, to drift boats. The river is floatable all the way to Colebrook.

Stream levels are very important for success. If they are too high, it can really make it tough. You should always get the rates of flows for the streams below the various lakes. In some cases, it is necessary to know if you can wade the stream or not.

Upper Connecticut River Hatches and Trout Flies:Our information on aquatic insects is based on our stream samples of larvae and nymphs, not guess work. We base fly suggestions on imitating the most plentiful and most available insects and other foods at the particular time you are fishing. Unlike the generic fly shop trout flies, we have specific imitations of all the insects in the Upper Connecticut River and in all stages of life that are applicable to fishing. If you want to fish better, more realistic trout flies, have a much higher degree of success, give us a call. We not only will help you with selections, you will learn why, after trying Perfect Flies, 92% of the thousands of our customers will use nothing else. 1-800-594-4726.

Be certain you have a variety of streamers, especially if you plan on fishing for Landlocked Salmon. Traditional flies like the Gray Ghost and Wooly Buggers are popular.

Be prepared to fish several mayfly and caddisfly hatches when you are pursuing trout in the Upper Connecticut River. Our hatch chart will give you a detailed estimate of when each species hatch.

Blue-winged Olives hatch for much of the season starting in the early season with another hatch coming in late August and early September.

The March Browns start hatching in May. This hatch can last a couple of months bu never real intense.

The Hendricksons follow about two weeks after the March Browns with sparse hatches in some sections.

Hatches, continued:The Light Cahills usually hatch starting about the first of June. Look for them in the fast water sections.

The Hexagenia species hatch in late July through the first of August. This includes the Great Olive Wing Drake or Hex.

Sulphurs start about the first of August. This hatch can last up to a month.

Never forget the midges. The river has a huge population of them and they can be the most important insect to imitate at certain times of the season.

Caddisflies are very plentiful for most of the season. The Little Black Caddis are the first ones to appear in late April to early May.

The Cinnamon Caddisflies start hatching in late May and last through August. They are by far the most plentiful and consist of several species that are all very similar.

Green Sedges also hatch starting in June and last through July. There are several other species of caddisflies of minor importance.

Don't overlook the terrestrial insects. Beetles, ants and grass hoppers are popular flies to use during the late summer and early fall.

Summer:The summer season is the best time to fish the river.Fall:The early fall season can be good but the season ends October 15

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Upper Connecticut River Fishing Report - 05/20/19The water is getting a little warmer. Several insects are hatching.

7 Day Weather Forecast: There is a chance of rain everyday, except Wednesday. Highs will range from 49 to 70 degrees and lows from 38 to 45 degrees.

Strategies, Techniques and Tips:White Belly Sculpin and Brown Sculpin will work well year-round. The Black Matuka and olive Matuka Sculpin flies are great flies to use right now.Hatches of various species of Blue-winged Olives are possible in the afternoons and more likely and in greater quantities if the skies are cloudy or overcast.We still think the best strategy is to fish a tandem Midge rig under a small strike indicator with the midge lava as the bottom fly and the midge pupa as the top fly. Fish the adult midge only when you observe trout feeding on the surface.Little Brown stoneflies are hatching. Little black caddis are hatching.Quill Gordons are hatching. Blue Quills are hatching. American March Browns are hatching. Hendricksons/Red Quills are hatching.

Options For Selecting Flies:1. Email us (sales@perfectflystore.com)with the dates you will be fishing this stream and we will send you a list of our fly suggestions. Please allow up to 24 hours for a response.

2. Call us 800-594-4726 and we will help you decide which flies you need.

3. Email us (sales@perfectflystore.com)with a budget for flies and we will select them to match the budget and get them to you in time for your fly fishing trip.

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